The Regeneration Project

As supported by The Churches Conservation Trust & National Lottery Heritage Fund

St Peter’s is being developed into an even more vibrant and welcoming cultural centre for the people of Sudbury and the surrounding area.

St Peter’s is not only a prominent landmark, itis also Sudbury’s main venue for large community events. It is already well used for a range of activities, but with leaking roofs, inadequate kitchen/bar space, and lack of toilets, the long-term use of the building is uncertain. It is in need of urgent repairs and new facilities to make it sustainable for the future.

The project to regenerate the building has secured initial support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and work is now well underway to develop plans for its transformation to:

Undertake urgent repair work to ensure the historic fabric is preserved.

Create a venue that meets the 21st century needs of Sudbury’s expanding community. Crucially this will involve ensuring that the venue is accessible for all.

Create new jobs and craft skills apprenticeships opening up employment opportunities in the heritage sector for students and job seekers.

Provide a wider programme to engage new audiences with heritage.

Your Key Contact:

For more information on the regeneration project at St Peter’s, please contact Allison Burke, Development Officer.

Project Facts:

A contemporary internal new build to the major entrance at the West end providing an improved and more welcoming lobby;

A mezzanine floor, meeting and events area;

The provision of toilets;

An upgrade to the kitchen and bar facilities;

The opening of the south chapel for visitors to enjoy, to be used as a green room for performers, and provide space for meetings;

Provision of small office space for staff & volunteers;

Improvements and access externally;

New roofs and other upgrades to the fabric of the building.

Alongside these physical changes to the building, St Peter’s will also expand its programme of heritage and cultural activities. These are designed to appeal to all ages of residents of Sudbury and neighbouring areas, as well as to visitors of this lively market town.

In March 2018 the National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded us funding of £275,500 to develop our proposals for St Peter’s. This development grant enabled us to recruit Alli Burke as Development Officer for the project.

We anticipate the project will cost £2.5m. We have now worked up our designs and operational plans and have submitted our Round 2 bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, for a decision in September 2020.

Should we be successful with our bid, in order to undertake the repair and upgrading of St Peter’s, it will be necessary to close the site for a period of around 12 months (currently anticipated autumn 2021 to autumn 2022).

We will continue to liaise with all hirers and other users of the building to give as much notice of this unavoidable disruption as possible.

Together with the NLHF-funded project at Gainsborough’s House and other local initiatives, the regeneration of St Peter’s will contribute to Babergh District Council’s ‘Vision for Prosperity’ for the area.

It will help ensure Sudbury develops as an economic and cultural hub for local people and as an attractive visitor destination.

REGENERATION TIMELINE

Spring 2020

Summer 2021

Anticipated start of closure period for regeneration works to take place.

Summer 2022

Anticipated re-opening of St Peter’s to the public following regeneration work.

SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS

The Friends of St Peter’s

The Friends of St. Peter’s (FoSP) is a registered charity which was founded after St. Peter’s closed for religious services in 1971. Our volunteers help to manage the upkeep of St. Peter’s, the hiring of the building to local cultural and community groups, and arrange for the building to be open to visitors.

The Churches Conservation Trust

The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) is the national heritage charity saving historic churches. It protects and helps secure new uses for over 350 buildings, which attract almost 2 million visitors a year. The CCT is the operator of the third largest heritage estate in charitable ownership in the UK, and has an international award-winning reputation in heritage conservation and regeneration.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Thanks to National Lottery players, the Heritage Lottery Fund invests money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about – from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife.